Picking out the right spinning should not be hard or time consuming, should it?
We have, after all, access to forums and fishing articles. But why is that if you are looking for resources about spinning reels, the first websites that pop up are internet tackle stores. Every single one of them tend to be filled with hyped up reel descriptions. If you finally manage to stumble upon one informative guide about buying the right spinning reel, they tend to be short, superficial and on top of that represent only one author's opinion.

As the ice melts and water warms up, bass begin to enter into their pre-spawn, spawn and post spawn stages. These stages are especially acute and short in northern latitudes where water temperatures change quickly in March through to the end of May.

Earlier this year, Bassmaster Elite, Edwin Evers spoke about cold water bass strategy with the Angling Authority.com team. We want to share key tips that Edwin had for anglers when fishing deep jerkbaits.

One of the key things to remember is that winter temperatures and cold water make bass lethargic. It’s important to pattern them quickly, especially when fishing for a tournament.

Edwin told us,

“It always builds your confidence when you can find a pattern and run it. The number one thing in our game is to figure out what pattern to fish; and by doing that it will give you more confidence”.

Time on the water is precious for anglers and your efficiency at figuring out what your target species is doing is just the first step. Pay attention to water temperature, clarity, weather and other factors that can help you locate and catch fish.

Edwin shared some key tactics he used during the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Classic on Grand Lake O’the Cherokees. He told us that jerkbaits were a key aspect of the pattern most anglers fished.

“I basically threw a handful of Megabass jerkbaits, those fish were keying in on fairly big shad. They were going for more of a translucent bait; and then in dirtier water I was throwing more solid colors. My best color was that sexy french pearl and another really good color for me was the Megabass sexy shad; they were my two primary colors. I threw the 110 + 1 a lot in the early mornings when I felt like the fish were a little bit deeper. I tried to stick with the Megabass Vision 110 + 1 for most of the day”.

When fishing a deep jerk bait bite, you need to get your bait down into the strike zone and keep it there as long as possible; Edwin gave us some key tactics on how he does this.

“To get my jerk bait down I make as long a cast as possible. That’s the great thing about that Megabass jerk bait, you can throw that thing a mile; and the longer you can make your cast, the deeper you can get it. 8-lb test flourocarbon will get the bait even deeper”.

When working your bait give it long pauses and try different retrieves. Sometimes bass will want an erratic jerking motion, other times they may key in on a long pause. The key here is to experiment and decipher what the fish want as quick as possible.

Edwin added,

“A lot of times I try to get the wind behind me to help cast further”.

This is just another example of how the pros use every angle they can to get an advantage.

Edwin went on to reveal that he uses a 7-ft Bass Pro Shops Carbonlite medium action rod with a high-speed Pro Qualifier reel for jerkbaits and 8-lb test Bass Pro Shops flourocarbon line when trying to get deep. When Edwin is fishing shallower water he revealed that he changes to 10-lb flourocarbon line as it doesn’t sink quite as fast.

When talking bait selection, Edwin really emphasized long casts and the Megabass 110 jerkbait is his choice for this application. Edwin shared some tips on color selection:

“I fish more translucent baits in clear, calm conditions; in dingier water it’s more important to change to a solid color like the french pearl” .

We keyed in immediately on this tip as the recent zebra mussel infestations in the Great Lakes have turned much of our fresh water lakes into clearer water; so a translucent jerk bait is a great choice for this region!

Watching the 2013 BassmasterElite Classic was an eye-opening experience. Our team was thoroughly impressed at the level of angling that was on display. Although the Classic was won on a jig bite, a lot can be learned from watching pro anglers such as Edwin Evers. These four concepts were our key takeaways from our conversation with Edwin:

Pattern your target species as early as possible to build confidence in what you’re doing

Utilize lighter, sinking, flouocarbon line for fishing jerkbaits deep

Casting distance is critical; it allows you to get your bait in the strike zone and keep it there longer

Every little bit counts; pay attention to what is happening around you and use things such as wind to your advantage to help you, not hinder you

Edwin summed it up nicely when he said,

“those are the two main things in my opinion; throw it as far as you can and use a lighter florocarbon line”.

We couldn’t agree more!

Tight Lines!

Share This Article

About Author

Grant is the Founder of AnglingAuthority.com. While he primarily fishes for large mouth and small mouth bass, he’s passionate about sport fishing in general and an avid multispecies angler. Learning about new tactics, gear, species and conditions is all part of what makes the sport challenging and enjoyable. Grant also loves to travel, particularly to prime fishing destinations.
Grant participates in regional tournaments and is a proud pro staff member of State Apparel, Power-Pole and Gambler Lures. Grant is a member of B.A.S.S, Canadian Bass Anglers Federation and Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters.